Displeased with media coverage of the Kapu agitation, the Andhra Pradesh government has ordered operators across Andhra Pradesh to block Sakshi News and No. 1 News channels.

According to K Ramachandra Murthy, Editorial Director, Sakshi Media Group, Sakshi News has been blocked in the state for the last four days. “Our channel was blocked soon after we telecast Kapu leader and ex-Minister Mudragada Padmanabhan’s protest for Kapu reservations.”

Murthy said that the government’s actions in this situation follow the pattern of past government reactions to strong agitations in the Telugu states. “Earlier the same thing happened with ABN Andhrajyothi and TV9 in Telangana, now it’s happening with our channel. It is undemocratic. We demand immediate restoration of Sakshi TV and other blocked channels in AP otherwise we will take legal actions against it''.